So here we are at the end of Part 1! It's been a fun and exciting journey so far. Part 2 is going to be... interesting... because it's going to have several time jumps and not really focus on Arthur and Isaac all the time. There's a lot of gang members coming in between 1888 and 1899, and I don't want to take 100,000 words to get there. So, time jumps. Lots and lots of time jumps. Outlining has been... fun...

Information about the next update: ok, so I'm moving, again. This actually comes at perfect timing, seeing as you have a full, complete story in Part 1 so I won't be leaving you with a cliffhanger and losing my internet for 3 weeks (if you read Toil and Trouble as it was being posted, you know what I mean...) So, the plan is to use this time to write ahead and start posting again once I'm settled, which will hopefully be in mid-May.

And who knows? The stress of it all might make me write to procrastinate packing haha!

Chapter 14: The Beginning

Arthur sat awkwardly as the man in front of him, Tom, slid the wooden leg onto him. The wooden leg sat snug against his skin, and a leather cuff was tied tight around his thigh to keep it in place.

"How does that feel, sir?"

"Uh…" Arthur stammered. "It's okay, I guess." He really wasn't sure what it was supposed to feel like, but it didn't hurt.

"Now, I'm going to need you to stand up so I can make sure your hips and knees are even," Tom said. "You mind helping him up?"

"Here, Arthur," Hosea said, offering his hand. Dutch came to his other side, and together they helped steady Arthur while Tom checked the height of the wooden leg.

"Alright, that looks good. Now, it's going to take some getting used to-"

"You can say that again," Arthur mumbled. Already, he felt unsteady.

"But I suggest walking with crutches first and doing some balancing exercises a few times a day," Tom finished. "Here's an ointment for soreness, since the muscles won't be used to moving with the prosthesis. And feel free to come back for an adjustment if it isn't fitting right."

"Thank you, sir," Hosea said.

"Can I sit back down now?" Arthur asked.

"Of course!"

Dutch paid Tom, and Arthur tried not to think about just how much money was gone because of him. The guilt still crept up on him, even after countless reminders from Dutch and Hosea that he was more than worth the expense. Once he was on his feet and able to do work around camp, he'd pay them back.

And besides, Dutch and Hosea were getting really excited about opportunities in New Austin, Arizona, and eventually California. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and Arthur found himself dreaming of long rides across an infinite desert and nights of clear, star-filled skies.

"Shall we head back?" Hosea said. "You don't have to wear it on the ride back."

"Oh, good."

"I figure you want your first walking practice to be somewhere a little more private," Hosea laughed. That would certainly be for the best, because Arthur definitely felt like he was going to fall if he took a step.

Though maybe it wouldn't be too bad with the crutches, like Tom said.

Arthur pulled the leg off and hopped up, getting his crutches underneath him. He was glad to have more energy again, both from healing and actually sleeping through the night. If that was because Copper crawled into his bed every night, no one was complaining. Sometimes Susan looked like she wanted to complain, but she didn't. The general consensus of the gang was that Arthur's well-being mattered more than having blankets that didn't smell like dog. When he did have a nightmare, Copper was quick to wake him up, usually by licking his face and whining.

The reduction in nightmares also meant that Arthur was comfortable with Isaac moving back into his room. It certainly helped Isaac feel a sense of normalcy, even if he did miss sharing with his uncle John.

Arthur was never going to let John forget it after the first time Isaac called John his uncle.

Arthur headed out to Boadicea, a peppermint in his hand. Bo still eyed the crutches, but stood still for the peppermint.

"Good girl," he said, rubbing the crooked stripe on her head. "Now, here's another one. Down…"

Not a week ago, Arthur had woken up from a nap wondering where his crutches had gone, only to see John and Hosea next to the horses with them. Hosea was teaching Boadicea how to kneel down so that John, the guinea pig, could figure out the best way to get on a horse from crutches. Their first problem was keeping Bo from spooking at the crutches, a disaster that had Arthur wracked with laughter.

But they did it, somehow. Arthur balanced himself over the saddle, then jumped and hauled his right leg over her back. "That's it, get on up now," he said, and Bo got her front legs back under herself. The only real issue once he was in the saddle was what to do with the crutches. On the ride over, Arthur slid them horizontal behind the saddle, resulting in a lot of jokes when it proved too wide to squeeze between two trees on the trail.

"She's doing well with that," Dutch said.

"Yeah. It's nice to be riding again."

"Just you wait, son, you won't even need those crutches anymore."

"I hope so."

"Though, you might want to keep them around for emergencies," Hosea said.

"Sure," Arthur said.

They trotted steadily back towards camp, certainly not in a rush. "I figure we should stick around here for maybe a week or two, just to make sure your leg doesn't need adjusting."

"And then New Austin?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah. Dutch and I have been looking at a town called Armadillo for maybe some small jobs, stagecoaches and the like, but really we want to keep moving towards California. That's where the good money will be!"

"Are you sure it's okay if I'm not able to-"

"Arthur, it's fine!" Hosea said. "We want you here, remember? Besides, I have no doubt that you will be chopping wood and brushing horses soon enough."

"Listen to Hosea, son," Dutch said.

Isaac waved and ran up to Arthur as soon as the three of them rode back up to the house. "What did you get up to?" Arthur asked him as he slid off Bo.

"I saw a huge bug!" Isaac said.

"Really?"

Isaac leaned in and whispered, "It landed in Susan's hair and scared her."

"Did it now?"

"Uh huh! And then I played with Copper for a while."

"Where is that dog?"

"Probably rolling in a mud puddle," Susan said with a shake of her head. "It's still pretty wet out there from that rain. How did you get on, Mr. Morgan?"

"Well, I've got a new leg," he said.

"Can I see?" Isaac asked.

"Sure. I think Hosea's got it."

Isaac ran off towards Hosea. Susan chuckled when she heard him shout, "Wow!"

"How about you head on over to the table. Lunch is just about ready."

"Sounds good."

"You'll need energy for walking!" she called after him.

Walking wasn't where they started. Standing and balancing proved difficult enough. Arthur grumbled each time he was forced to grab the bed frame to steady himself.

"It's only the first day," Bessie said. Arthur would have much preferred practicing by himself, but Bessie, as she put it, was there to make sure he didn't fall and crack his head open.

"Bessie-" he started, wound tight and ready to snap.

"Breathe," she said. "Why don't you try it with the crutches. Start leaning on them, and slowly stand up on your own."

"Okay," Arthur sighed. And tried it. He stayed supported a little longer before leaning on the crutches again.

"How was that? Better?" Bessie asked.

"I guess. But it don't feel too good."

"You're pretty much learning how to walk all over again," Bessie said, trying to reassure him. "I'm sure you remember Isaac doing that."

"You know, I wasn't around when Isaac was first learning. He had a pretty good handle on it when I visited."

"I'm sure you still saw a few tumbles."

Arthur nodded, and sat back down. "I think that's all I want to do today."

"That's fine. We will try again tomorrow."

"How are you so patient all the time, Bessie?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, you think I'm like this all the time?" she teased. "It took practice, I suppose. You and John gave me plenty of that. But over time, I learned how to set my frustration aside for a time."

"And it just went away?"

"Well, no. Not all the time. The little things went away. But between you and me, sometimes I would have to go out in the middle of the woods and just scream it out!"

"Really? I never knew."

"Neither does Hosea. One time after I was out purging a little frustration from my system, he came running up to me all excited." Bessie leaned in close. "Said he'd never heard elk that far south before!"

Arthur howled with laughter, falling into her. She did the same. "You know, laughter is a good way to release frustration, too," she said, breathless. "But it's not always as easy."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said. "I better get my hollering out before we get to New Austin, or else Hosea's going to be real confused."

"I'm hoping that won't be a problem," Bessie said. "Now, don't you go telling Hosea my secret."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Arthur said.

Practicing walking did many things for Arthur, but curing his boredom wasn't one of them. There were only so many books to read, so many times he could draw the camp, so many games of poker before Arthur had enough. And a bored Arthur liked to cause trouble, as Miss Grimshaw put it when she stopped Arthur from attempting a rather complicated and dramatic flourish in a game of Five Finger Fillet against Mac.

"You'd think after losing a leg you'd be less inclined to chop off a finger!" she reprimanded him, leading him off to a pile of clothes. By then, Arthur used both his wooden leg and crutches at the same time, and was getting much stronger. "Now then, you are going to help me mend the holes in these shirts."

Arthur contemplated the shirt in front of him. Could he sew? Yes. Hosea taught him how to stitch wounds. Could he sew well enough to close a hole to Miss Grimshaw's standards? Probably not. "Look, I'll quit playing with knives," he tried saying.

She shook her head, handing him the needle and thread. "Nonsense. Here."

"I ain't quite sure how to do this."

Susan crossed her arms and said, "Then you'll learn. Watch what I do and try to copy it."

Soon, he successfully closed one hole. Then another. Susan and Arthur kept working until they had no clothes left to mend. Arthur enjoyed the rhythmic motion, finding it similar to the back and forth of his pencil when doing the shading for a drawing. Sewing with Susan and Bessie quickly became one of his chores, though there rarely was enough material for all three of them to work.

That changed with their newest gang member, Simon Pearson.

Dutch and Hosea met Mr. Pearson in a saloon just after the gang left Colorado. The former Navy sailor was working as the cook, having run low on funds while seeking adventure out west. Mr. Pearson quickly realized, after listening to Hosea and Dutch search for leads in the saloon, that the pair were outlaws. But to their surprise, Mr. Pearson didn't run straight to the sheriff. Instead, he offered his cooking services in exchange for traveling with them, seeing the gang as his ticket to the adventure he craved. And considering how their gang had expanded over the last few months, with Isaac, Mac, and Davey, having a full-time cook worked out well.

On top of his cooking skills, Mr. Pearson enjoyed working with leather. He often experimented with different types of pelts to create satchels, trunk covers, rugs… rather basic items. But he taught a very interested Arthur how he prepared the pelts and designed the bags, and let Arthur join him during the process.

Soon, Arthur was begging Hosea to take him hunting for new materials. Hosea indulged his boy, proud that Arthur was finally taking an interest in hunting after all the lessons he'd given him. He took Arthur out to hunt some pronghorn, which gathered in large herds in the open plain and could be easily shot from the saddle.

"You really interesting in working with pelts?" Hosea asked after they brought down two of the pronghorn.

"Yeah," Arthur said. "I think I am."

"What brought this on?"

"Well, I enjoy it. More than I thought I would, that's for sure. And… never mind."

"What?"

"It's just," Arthur started, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "Me and John, we never had many options growing up. We fell into the outlaw life pretty easily. I want Isaac to have options, you know? If I can learn a new skill and pass it on to him, then he could have a chance at an honest business one day. Eliza felt the same. Once Isaac was a little older, she was going to try to apprentice in something. Don't know if she ever decided what."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Arthur," Hosea said. "Once you get used to working with pelts, there's all sorts of items you could branch out into: coats, gloves, boots… you could be our gang's personal trapper!"

"You're getting ahead of yourself, old man."

"Nonsense! I've seen some of those drawings you've got in your journal. You have a good eye for detail. I bet you could make some real good stuff if you put your mind to it."

"Maybe."

"Talk to Annabelle. I think she used to make clothes with her mother when she was growing up. Mind you, she worked with wool and cotton, but she might have some advice on designing."

Arthur nodded and said, "Alright. Now are you going to pick up those pronghorn before the scavengers get them, or do I have to come down there myself?"

"Stay on your horse, I've got it," Hosea chuckled, and hauled the first pronghorn to the back of his horse.

Dear Jim and Mabel,

I promised that I would write, and I've neglected to do so these past few months. But Isaac's fifth birthday is today, and I wanted to let you know that we are both doing alright. I've decided to take up a new trade, one that will hopefully allow me to spend more time with Isaac. Isaac has begun reading lessons, and wanted to write a to you himself. His spelling is still a little shaky, so it's mostly a drawing.

I'm traveling west with my family to California, so I am not sure yet when you can write back. I'll send another letter once we are settled.

Thank you again for everything you did to help me and Isaac.

Sincerely,

Arthur

He slipped his letter into the envelope with Isaac's short message and the drawing, labeled My family. He included everyone, even Boadicea, Rory, and Copper.

Arthur pushed himself up, taking a moment to steady himself before walking forward. He was still a little slow, but he could walk without crutches. Though Isaac running and slamming into his legs to hug him almost knocked him over.

"Happy Birthday, Isaac!" Arthur said, lifting him into a hug. "You excited to turn five?"

"Yeah!"

"Anything you want to do today?"

"Can we go on a ride?"

"Sure! Why don't we eat some breakfast and then we'll head out."

"Okay!" Isaac said, running off to the table.

Bessie patted Arthur on the shoulder and whispered, "Make sure you take a few hours. We want that cake to be a surprise."

"Won't be a problem," he said.

They trotted across the desert, first swinging by the Armadillo post office to send the letter and then off to the nearby lake. Arthur found himself looking forward to Isaac opening his gifts. There was the journal he bought all those weeks ago, fortunately recovered with their wagon and Rory, and several new toys and storybooks.

"Pa? Can we go fast?"

"Sure. Hold on tight, now." Boadicea eagerly galloped down the road.

"When can I ride my own horse?" Isaac asked.

"When you're a little bigger. You got to be able to reach the stirrups."

"But they're so far down!"

"You'll have a smaller saddle when we start you riding, don't worry. But give it a two years, maybe less, and we can get you started on Daisy."

"Really? Isn't she John's horse?"

"She is, but he's getting a little big for her now. I'm sure he won't mind you riding her."

John already said as much. Arthur couldn't believe how quickly John had warmed up to Isaac, but he was glad for it.

Maybe Isaac could convince John to finally learn swimming. Arthur didn't plan to teach Isaac just yet, but for the day, they splashed around in the shallows of the lake before heading back to camp for the surprise.

"Happy Birthday, Isaac!" everyone shouted, standing in front of the table with a cake and presents.

"This is all for me?" Isaac asked.

"Yep! The cake is chocolate, too," Bessie said.

"You only turn five once. Got to make the most of it," said Dutch.

Annabelle turned to the group and said, "Should we sing?"

Their rendition of the song was a little out of tune, but Isaac clapped and cheered anyway. Arthur let him have way too much cake, fully prepared to deal with the impending sugar rush.

And the crash that inevitably followed.

"You have a good day?" Arthur asked as he carried the boy to bed.

Isaac yawned as a reply.

Arthur chuckled. "Well, at least you'll sleep well tonight."

"Pa?"

"Yeah."

"You think Ma is sad she missed my birthday?"

Arthur paused in the doorway to the bedroom, gathering his thoughts. "I'm sure she is a little sad. She wants to be here with you. But I think she's also happy you had a great day with us."

"I miss her."

"Me too, son."

As much as Arthur loved having his son with him, he wished Eliza was with them, too. Even though she never would have lived with the gang. Sometimes, Arthur wondered whether or not he should have left the gang and married her. Would Eliza had survived? Could he have protected her? Or would he still have taken Isaac on a fishing trip the same day robbers decided to come to their house?

But he couldn't let himself get caught up in what could have been. Arthur had to do his best for Isaac now.

He hoped Eliza was happy with his choices.

"Alright, let's get you in bed," Arthur said.

"Okay. Goodnight, Pa," Isaac muttered sleepily, before turning to the drawing of Eliza. "Goodnight, Ma."

"Goodnight, Isaac," Arthur said, tucking the blankets around his son. "Happy birthday!"